The Solution to Attention Fatigue
It happens to many of us who are overworked and hyper focused on our goals. We suffer from attention fatigue and think pushing through is the solution. That is farthest from the truth. In his book Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, Daniel Goleman says when “we push to the point of cognitive exhaustion,” we become distracted, our productivity and effectiveness declines as our irritability and lack of patience increase. Even though we may recognize the signs of mental fatigue, many of us don’t know what to do about it.
But the solution to attention fatigue is simple. Like an overworked muscle, our brains need to rest and recharge to refocus and be effective. Although not everyone can take a rest day or vacation to recharge when they need it, there are some simple things you can incorporate into your daily routine to assure that you recharge your mentally fatigued brain, so you can be more productive and healthier in the long run.
Unplug and Disengage
Many people make the mistake of unplugging by scrolling social media or playing video games. But this is what Goleman calls top-down focus which is not conducive to restoring your mental fatigue and can actually make things worse. Instead, engage in bottom-up activities like taking a walk in nature (not a busy city street) to refuel and charge. The difference between walking in a city street and in nature is that a busy street will compete for your attention and focus, much like video games and social media. What you really need is to unplug from stimulus and allow your brain to restore energy. Walking in nature, listening to relaxing music, working out, dancing, and engaging in artistic endeavors are also great ways to help attention fatigue.
Full Focus on Something Relaxing
The key to combating attention fatigue is to immerse yourself into something relaxing. This activity should be passive and gently arouse your senses. Anything you enjoy and lose yourself in is a good choice. Once again, getting out in nature and engaging in some artistic activity seems to be the best way to engage in full focus relaxing.
When you are battling attention fatigue, the solution in not to push through. It is the opposite. It’s to unplug and focus on something that will help you recharge. You need to recognize the signs and listen to when your brain has had enough. By resting and replenishing your energy, you will save time by being hyper focused on work and more productive then if you forced yourself to get the work done when fatigued. In fact, if you get to bed early and wake up refreshed, your productivity will increase and you’re more like to get the work done at a faster pace then if you had pulled an all nighter.
